The Four Families of Instruments
Woodwinds, Brass, Strings, Percussion
Woodwind Family
Flute
Oboe
Clarinet
Bassoon
http://www.sfskids.org/templates/instorchfra
me.asp?pageid=3
Click link above to listen to the timbre of the Woodwind
instruments (listening test over the woodwind family of
instruments following this section of the power point!)
The flute~ What are the parts?
How It's Made
The body of the flute is a long cylinder that is divided into
three sections: the headjoint, the body, and the foot joint.
On these three sections you will find 16 tone holes that are
covered by fingers and key pads when played.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7U
wPm6sGOc&feature=related
(click link above to watch 8 min. youtube video on the Native American
Flute (story of Charles LittleLeaf)
The flute
A painting from the Middle
Ages, 1340 of right held flutes
The Flute is a member of the woodwind section of the
orchestra. Only the piccolo, a member of the flute family,
plays higher. The flute produces a sound that is light, clear
and penetrating on its highest notes. A flute player may be
referred to as a flautist or a flutist.
History
The transverse (side-blown) flutes can be seen in paintings
and manuscripts that date back as far as the 14th century,
though most flutes were played like the recorder, blowing
air in from the end. By about the 15th century the
transverse flute had become quite popular and by 1847 the
modern orchestral flute had reached its present form.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjUOGh9Vc8k&feature=related
Click link above to watch/hear Claude Bolings, ‘Javanaise’ featuring computer
graphics by Romero Caldinin (6 min. )
The Flute (continued)
Fun Fact
The hyperbass flute is the biggest member
of the flute family. It is pitched in C, and
plays four octaves lower than the standard
symphonic flute. The hyperbass flute tubing
is over 8 meters long. Its lowest note is one
C lower than the lowest C on the piano lower than what scientists consider the
range of human hearing!
The Oboe
Fun Fact
The oboe is featured in "Across the Stars" from
John Williams film score to Star Wars Episode II:
Attack of the Clones.
Sonya, the Duck is portrayed by an ‘OBOE’ in the
Orchestral composition including narration
written by Prokofiev for Children’s Theatre
titled, “Peter and the Wolf”.
Peter is portrayed by the Strings
The Bird is portrayed by a flute
The Cat is portrayed by the Clarinet
Grandpa is portrayed by the Bassoon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILI3s7Wonvg
The Wolf is portrayed by the French Horn
Click link above to hear and watch the intro. To Peter and
the Wolf (7 min.)
The Clarinet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSq_nwoG43s
Click link above to listen to opening passage to jazz concerto: “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin (1 min.30 sec)
Fun Facts
One of the most popular symphonic clarinet solos is the one
in George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.
The opening for Gershwin's 'jazz concerto' features the
clarinet ascending from a low note to a high note followed
by a melody. During the rehearsal of the piece for the
premier performance in 1924, the clarinet soloist decided it
would be funny to glissando (slide) up to the high note rather
than play the written chromatic scale notes. Gershwin liked it
so much that it has been played that way ever since!
The clarinet sometimes is referred to a licorice whip.
The Bassoon
Fun Facts
The bassoon has 7 feet of tubing, while the
contrabassoon has a whopping 16 feet!
If instrument builders hadn't decided to "fold"
the tubing, you would have to stand on a very
tall ladder to play the contrabassoon - but then
how would you reach the keys?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw_wXD1WqI4&feature=related
Click link above to hear ‘Bad Romance’ played by a Bassoon Quartet (5 min.)
Listening Test Over Woodwinds
 Get Out your Quiz sheet for the this listening quiz.
 Listen carefully, and choose which instrument you
hear in the correct order. Your choices are listed below:
FLUTE
OBOE
CLARINET
BASSOON
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mplates/instorchframe.as
p?pageid=3
Click link above to access
instruments for the
listening test
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=en
dscreen&NR=1&v=vCgJXD3J9Wc
AFTER THE QUIZ, Click to listen to the rest
of PETER & THE WOLF!
The Brass Family
Trumpet
French Horn
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Trombone
p?pageid=3
Click link above to listen to the timbre of the Brass
Tuba (listening test over the brass family of
instruments
instruments following this section of the power
point!)
Picture of Miles Davis, Famous jazz trumpet player
The Trumpet
Fun Fact
The trumpet was known to be used in the medieval
era for war and pagentry. It could be heard over the
noise of battle, therefore, it was used for signaling.
Trumpets are made of brass, a metal made of copper
and zinc. Both of these metals are found in vitamins.
This means that during your life you may eat an entire
trumpet - and it would be good for you!
Trumpets can play 45 notes! They are played by
buzzing softer and faster as well as changing the
positions of the buttons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EB_Y_1X9Y4
Click link above to hear: “Fanfare for the common Man” by Aaron
Copland slideshow with Grand Canyon (3 min.)
The French Horn
Fun Fact
French horns are made of brass, a metal made of copper
and zinc. Both of these metals are found in vitamins. This
means that during your life you may eat an entire french
horn - and it would be good for you!
The Horn comes from a long tradition of instruments first
used in ancient China, Egypt, and Scandinavia.
In the 1600’s, the French Horn was used in the English
royal mounted hunt.
The horn became a regular member of the orchestra
during the 1700’s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMNFxX2PQLg
Click link above to hear the song, 76 Trombones written by Meredith Wilson (3 min. )
The Trombone
Fun Facts
Beethoven was the first composer to write a trombone
part for a symphony. He included one in his Fifth
Symphony.
The German name for Trombone is ‘sackbut’ which
means push and pull.
In Mason City, Iowa, hometown of Meredith Wilson
(who wrote the musical 'The Music Man' and its
famous song "Seventy-Six Trombones"), is a building
called Music Man Square that has 76 Trombones
hanging from the ceiling in one room
The Tuba
Fun Fact
Tubas are the largest and lowest of the brass instruments.
The first Friday in May is known as ‘International Tuba Day”
An orchestra typically has one to three tubas in it (they are LOUD!)
Very little music is written to feature a tuba soloist.
The tuba is made of brass, a metal made of copper and zinc. Both of
these metals are found in vitamins. This means that during your life you
may eat an entire tuba - and it would be good for you!
Listening Test Over Brass Instruments
• Get Out a Piece of blank paper.
• Copy the following list of Brass instruments in the exact order
as you see them listed below ~ do not number them.
• Once everyone has written down the instruments, we will turn off
the projector and proceed with the listening test.
________ TRUMPET
________ FRENCH HORN
________ TROMBONE
Directions: In the blank beside each box, write the
number (order) that you hear each instrument
played. (ex. If you think the first instrument you hear
is a TUBA, then write the number ‘1’ in the blank
beside TUBA
________ TUBA
http://www.sfskids.org/templates/instorchframe.asp?pageid=3
Click link above to access instruments for listening test
The String Family
http://www.sfskids.org/templates/instorchfra
me.asp?pageid=3
Click link above to listen to the timbre of the
String instruments (listening test over the
string family of instruments following this
section of the power point!)
!)
Violin
Viola
Cello
Double Bass
Harp
The Violin
Fun Fact
On May 16, 2006, Christie's, a London auction house,
auctioned a Stradivarius called The Hammer for a record
$3,544,000. It is the most anyone has ever paid at public
auction for a musical instrument.
It is said that unlike the Lady Tennant, sold for $2,000,000,
the Hammer was made after 1700, during Stradivari's
"golden period", when he is believed to have made his
finest instruments.
Of more than 1100 instruments Stradivari is believed to
have made, only about 620 survive. "These are the finest
violins in the world and there is a finite number of them.”
The Viola
FUN FACTS
Jimi Hendrix’s first instrument he played was the viola.
Velvet Underground features the viola because one of
the members, John Cale was a trained violist.
The Viola reads in the ‘Alto Clef’ or the C clef since the
symbol centers around the C line.
Songs that feature the strings/viola:
Velvet Underground: “Stephanie Says”
The Verve, “Bittersweet Symphony”
Listen to hear ‘Firework’ played by a Violaist (viola soloist)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGNh8mPiW9w&feature=fvwrel
The Cello
Fun Fact
A cello made in 1707 by Matteo
Goffriller of Venice, sold at auction on
April 22, 2005 for $620,800, a new
record for Goffriller's instruments.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzrC72Xv6pE
Click link above to hear STRINGS featured in Regina Spektor’s song ,
“US” (4 min.) ONLY IF TIME PERMITS
The String Bass
FUN FACTS !
Of the four main members of the orchestra's
string section, the string bass, or double bass,
is the largest and deepest in sound.
The electric bass guitar is a popular modern
version of the same instrument.
Mrs. Smith’s husband, Steve Smith is an
Electric Bass guitar player!
http://www.reverbnation.com/steveandmarilea
Click link above to hear Steve play a bass solo at an outdoor
festival!
The Harp
Fun Facts
If you are a beginning harp student Harpsicle Harp Co. may
have just the harp for you! The company's brightly colored
Harpsicles are affordable and lots of fun! These little harps
come in a variety of "flavors," including blue (blueberry),
red (cherry), purple (grape), black (licorice), pink (bubble
gum), white (marshmallow), dark green, gold, silver, and
natural wood finish. Made in the USA by the Harpsicle Harp
Co., these simple harps are well designed, sturdily built, and
lightweight. They have a great sound for a small harp, and
their light tension makes them easy to play.
Listening Test Over String Instruments
• Get Out a Piece of blank paper.
• Copy the following list of String instruments in the exact order
as you see them listed below ~ do not number them.
• Once everyone has written down the instruments, we will turn off
the projector and proceed with the listening test.
________ VIOLIN
________ VIOLA
________ CELLO
Directions: In the blank beside each box, write the
number (order) that you hear each instrument
played. (ex. If you think the first instrument you hear
is a CELLO, then write the number ‘1’ in the blank
beside CELLO
________ THE STRING BASS
_________HARP
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Click link above to access instruments for listening test
The Percussion Family
Chimes
Snare Drum
Timpani
Xylophone
Glockenspiel
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me.asp?pageid=3
Cymbal
Click link above to listen to the timbre of the
Percussion instruments (listening test over the
Bass Drum
percussion family of instruments following this
section of the power point!)
Chimes
Fun Fact
In 1950, NBC filed with the U. S. Patent Office to make their three note chime tune
a registered audible service mark. It was the first time a 'tune' was filed with that
office. The following is the record from the Patent Office:
Serial Number : 72-349496
Type of Mark: SERVICE MARK
Mark Drawing Code: (6) NO DRAWING
Description of Mark: THE MARK COMPRISES A SEQUENCE OF CHIME-LIKE MUSICAL
NOTES WHICH ARE IN THE KEY OF C AND SOUNDED THE NOTES G, E, C, THE "G"
BEING THE ONE JUST BELOW MIDDLE C, THE "E" THE ONE JUST ABOVE MIDDLE C,
AND THE "C" BEING MIDDLE C, THEREBY TO IDENTIFY APPLICANT'S BROADCAST
SERVICE.
Owner Name: NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMPANY, INC., The Owner Address: 30
ROCKEFELLER PLAZA NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10112 CORPORATION DELAWARE
The NBC chime tune was discontinued in 1971 and then returned in 1976 on the
anniversary of the network's 50th year in broadcasting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP6Z86iDFjU
Click link above to hear the patented NBC chime trademark
Snare Drum
The earliest known snare drum was the medieval drum called tabor. It was used to call
in a war between tribes or communities or to announce the arrival of a famous
personality in the tribe or community.
The snare drum is a percussion instrument used in musical styles from classical to pop.
It takes its name from the metal wires stretched across the bottom head, and it has a
piercing "snap" sound. The snare drum is sometimes called a "side drum," as it was
originally worn by soldiers on a strap under the left arm. It can also be placed on a
stand, either on its own or as part of a drum kit.
Birch and oak are also a much preferred wood material for making snare drums.
Songs that feature the snare drum:
‘50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” by Paul Simon
“The Ballade of the Green Beret” by Johnny Cash
“Mercenary” by the Go-Gos
“Cherub Rock” by the Smashing Pumpkins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J2QdDbelmY
“Seven Nation Army” the White Stripes
Click link above to watch “Seven Nation Army” by White Stripes (4 min.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viPiiNkRvEk
Click above to listen & see lyrics to: ‘the Ballade of the Green Beret”
Timpani
FUN FACTS!!
Classical Era composer, Johann Karl Fischer
once wrote a symphony for 8 timpani and
orchestra which required the timpani player to
play eight drums at the same time!
Groups that featured the Timpani:
The Beatles,
Led Zepelin’s, “The Immigrant Song” (1st song that used Electronic Timpani) ,
Queen, The Beach Boys, Emerson Lake and Palmer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W57sedUcAs4
Click to hear Fischer’s, “Symphony for 8 Timpani, III, Allegretto”
Xylophone
Fun Fact
The sounds of Fred Flintstone's twinkling toes at
the bowling alley aren't made by his toes...
they're made by a xylophone!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-IxeEHBFdU
Click toSongs
hear the sound
of the
Xylophone,
used to symbolize Fred’s toes
that
use
xylophone:
when he bowls!
‘Wake Me Up When September Ends” by Green Day
“Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen
“I will Follow You” by U2
“Little Wing” by Jimi Hendrix
“Moonlight Feels Right” by Starbuck
“Under My Thumb” by Rolling Stones
“Africa” by Toto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYYTLJ8YHi4
Click link above to listen to ‘Under My Thumb’ by The Rolling Stones
Glockenspiel
The glockenspiel is German for 'bells that are played'
Songs that utilized the glockenspiel in the recording:
The Beatles song, “Only A Northern Song”
The Black Crowes song, “Gone”
Radio Head song, “No Surprises”
One of the most famous glockenspiels is located in
Munich, Germany. Built at the beginning of the 19th
century, the glockenspiel clock is the largest in Germany.
The carillon has 43 bells which together weigh in excess
of 2,800 lbs. The glockenspiel celebrates two different
events from Munich’s past.
One scene shows barrelmakers, or coopers, dancing in
memory of the end of the black plague in 1517, and the
other scene is jousting knights re-enacting a tournament
that took place at Duke Wilhelm V’s royal wedding.
During the summer the glockenspiel has become a
“must-see” tourist attraction with hundreds of visitors
waiting to see the shows.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH6pwKdw9CI&feature=related
Click link above to listen to the Glockenspiel bells in Munich, Germany (4 min. 35 sec)
Cymbal
Fun Fact
In the year 1623, Avedis Zildjian, an Armenian
alchemist in the city of Constantinople, in his attempt
to create gold from a combination of copper, tin and
traces of silver, found instead a new metal alloy with
unique sound qualities. The secret blend of Zildjian's
celebrated cymbals remains the same today as it was
four centuries ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBEMeLAw7CI
Click link above to watch video of how Cymbals are made!
The Keyboard Family
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Icp92mV6XeU&feature=related
Click link above to hear a Piano piece written and played for 2
pianos, and 16 hands. How many people would be playing?
2 pianos~ 16 hands
The Piano
The Spinet…the smallest piano at 35-38 inches high
The Console…40-43 inches high
The Studio Piano…45-48 inches high.
Upright Piano …50-60 inches high~what we have in the choir room!
Petite Grand Piano…smallest of the grands at: 4 feet 5 inches to 4 feet 10 inches in
size
Baby Grand Piano…2nd in smallest of the grands at: 4 feet 11 inches to 5 feet 6
inches in size
Parlor Grand Piano…5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet 1 inche in size
Concert Grand Piano…largest of the grands at 9 feet in size
The Piano
Fun Facts
By the time a piano is put together it can be quite heavy. A
Steinway Concert Grand can weigh up to 990 pounds. The
largest piano built, the Fazioli F308, weighs in at a
whopping 1520 pounds!
The system described for building the rim of a grand piano
was developed by Theodore Steinway in 1880.
Piano playing is sometimes referred to as "tickling the
ivories". They used to make the ivory keys from elephant
tusks, until they became an endangered species.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdFejZgOHDA
Click link above to watch video of: How pianos are made (10 min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQf2rLWf-pg
Click link above to listen to Martin Vatter’s “Where is this Yearning Leading Me?” based on
Max Erhmann’s poem, Desiderata”
Listening Test Over Percussion Instruments
• Get Out a Piece of blank paper.
• Copy the following list of Percussion instruments in the exact
order that you see them listed below ~ do not number them.
• Once everyone has written down the instruments, we will turn off
the projector and proceed with the listening test.
________ SNARE DRUM
________ TIMPANI
________ Bass Drum
Directions: In the blank beside each box, write the
number (order) that you hear each instrument
played. (ex. If you think the first instrument you hear
is a CYMBAL, then write the number ‘1’ in the blank
beside CYMBAL
_________CYMBAL
http://www.sfskids.org/templates/instorchframe.asp?pageid=3
Click link above to access instruments for listening test